Scientists Find 2 Active Magma Chambers Under Masaya Volcano, Threatening 2 Million Nearby
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 31
Scientists Find 2 Active Magma Chambers Under Masaya Volcano, Threatening 2 Million Nearby
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 31
Summary
Satellite radar data from 2018 to 2024 showed Masaya’s ground north of Santiago crater sank until mid-2022, then rose, while the crater area kept deflating—evidence of two active magma chambers.
The finding helps explain why Nicaragua’s basaltic shield volcano can alternate between passive degassing, lava-lake activity and explosive eruptions, despite usually behaving more like Hawaii’s effusive volcanoes.
Masaya sits about 20 kilometers from Managua and within range of roughly 2 million people, with chronic sulfur dioxide emissions already pushing nearby air pollution above World Health Organization standards.
Researchers said mapping Masaya’s shallow magma system could improve hazard monitoring at a volcano that has stayed almost continuously active since the 16th century and has produced major eruptions, including one about 6,500 years ago.